Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

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Reader Rating
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 12 servings

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My healthy pumpkin muffins are lightened up with less fat and sugar, but are every bit as moist and fluffy as you’d expect. They are quick and easy to make and perfect for a wholesome snack or afternoon treat.

healthy pumpkin muffins.

Come fall, my healthy pumpkin muffin recipe becomes an almost weekly staple in my household. It’s the perfect use of pumpkin puree, uses wholesome ingredients, and is one of the few muffins my family begs me to make on a weekly basis.

Instead of white sugar, I like to use a little coconut sugar, which is less refined and keeps the muffins low sugar. I also swap out the white flour for oat flour, which adds extra protein, fiber, and wholegrains. You could technically call these low-calorie pumpkin muffins, because each giant muffin has less than 150 calories – win!

Why I love this recipe

Arman Liew
  • Perfect texture and flavor. The texture is moist and fluffy in the middle with a tender crumb. They are full of pumpkin flavor, thanks to the addition of pumpkin puree to the batter (no pumpkin pie filling!).
  • Tastes like bakery muffins. Don’t let the word ‘healthy’ fool you. My muffins taste like any good bakery-style muffin out there!

If you are looking for more healthy pumpkin recipes, try my healthy pumpkin bread, healthy pumpkin pancakes, healthy pumpkin cookies, and healthy pumpkin pie next.

What makes these pumpkin muffins healthy?

Find the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities below.

  • Oat flour. Ground-up rolled or quick oats. Skip the expensive packaged kind and make your own with my homemade oat flour
  • Baking powder. The leavening agent gives the muffins some rise and fluffiness.
  • Pumpkin spice. A must for any recipe using pumpkin puree. You can make your own by mixing ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ground ginger. 
  • Pumpkin puree. Homemade pumpkin puree or unsweetened canned pumpkin. If you use the latter, be sure that it is NOT pumpkin pie filling.
  • Coconut oil. A fantastic alternative to butter. Use refined coconut oil, as it has no coconut flavor whatsoever. You’ll notice that the amount used is much less than in other pumpkin muffins, which helps keep these relatively low-fat yet still moist and fluffy.
  • Eggs. room temperature, please.
  • Milk of choice. I used unsweetened almond milk to keep them dairy-free, but any milk can be used (such as coconut, soy, or non-fat milk).
  • Coconut sugar. A refined sugar-free sweetener. You can find these at Asian grocers or health food stores. Of course, if you only have white or brown sugar, you can use that. I also tested these muffins with maple syrup and honey, and they work well.
  • Oatmeal crumb topping. A simple mix of oat flour, rolled oats, sugar, cinnamon, and coconut oil.

How to make healthy pumpkin muffins

Step 1- Make the batter. Whisk together your flour, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl, then set that aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until creamy.

pumpkin batter.

Step 2- Combine. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated, with no air pockets remaining.

pumpkin muffin batter.

Step 3- Make the crumb topping. If desired, make the crumb topping by mixing the oat flour, rolled oats, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and coconut oil.

crumb topping mixture.

Step 4- Bake the muffins. Disperse the batter evenly amongst a greased 12-count muffin tin and sprinkle the crumb topping over each one. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.

assembling muffins.

★★★★★ REVIEW 

“These are delicious and super moist! They are so easy to make also!” – Adrienne

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Do not over-bake the muffins. Remember, muffins will continue to bake as they are cooling in the muffin tin. Remove them from the oven when a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
  • Use superfine oat flour. For the best texture of the muffins, the oat flour used must be of a powdery texture. Some brands, like Bob’s Red Mill, are great, but others are a little coarser, so I suggest blending them down even further to a fine powder.
  • Adjust the sweetness. These muffins are pleasantly sweet, thanks to the addition of coconut sugar and the natural sweetness of the pumpkin. However, if you prefer a sweeter muffin, add an extra tablespoon or two of coconut sugar.
  • Use actual flour. If you prefer muffins made with baking flour, swap out the oat flour with whole wheat flour.

Recipe variations

The beauty of these muffins lies in their ease of customization to suit a wide range of diets or preferences. Here is what I have tested:

  • Make them vegan. Switch out the eggs for an egg substitute.
  • Add mix-ins. Add chocolate chips to make healthy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, or fold through some walnuts and pecans for some crunch.
  • Add applesauce. Replace half the pumpkin with unsweetened applesauce. This gives the muffins a slightly less intense pumpkin flavor while keeping them perfectly moist and fluffy.
  • Add banana. Swap out half the pumpkin for mashed banana.
  • Pumpkin oatmeal muffins. Do as I did and add a simple oatmeal streusel topping. Combine rolled oats with coconut sugar and sprinkle the mixture on top of each muffin before baking. Drizzle with a simple powdered sugar glaze.

Storage instructions

To store: Muffins can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days. If you’d like them to keep longer, store them in the refrigerator and they will keep for up to 1 week.

To freeze: Place muffins in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let them thaw completely from their frozen state.

healthier pumpkin muffins.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my healthy pumpkin muffins dense?

If your pumpkin muffins are more on the dense side, it comes down to how long you cook them! To ensure they are never dense, be sure to remove them from the oven when a toothpick comes out mostly clean.

More healthy muffins I’m loving

If you tried this Healthy Pumpkin Muffin recipe, please leave a star rating and comment. It helps others thinking of making this.

healthy pumpkin muffins recipe.

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

5 from 259 votes
These healthy pumpkin muffins are lightened up with less oil and sugar but are every bit as moist and fluffy as you'd expect! Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 12 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Video

Ingredients  

Crumb topping

  • 3 tablespoons oat flour
  • 3 tablespoons rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil melted

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 12-count muffin tin and fill each one with muffin liners.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, coconut oil, milk, and coconut sugar and mix until smooth.
  • Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until combined. Distribute the batter evenly amongst the muffin tin.
  • Make the crumb topping by mixing together the oat flour, rolled oats, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and melted coconut oil. Sprinkle over the top of each muffin.
  • Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
  • Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

TO STORE: Muffins can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days. If you’d like them to keep longer, store them in the refrigerator and they will keep for up to 1 week.
TO FREEZE: Place muffins in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let them thaw completely from their frozen state.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 6gFat: 4gSodium: 58mgPotassium: 209mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 6401IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 18g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, culinary school graduate, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

5 from 259 votes (242 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I make these healthy pumpkin muffins every time I need to use up canned pumpkin, and they are always a hit with my family.

  2. 5 stars
    Tried this recipe, it was really good, but the only thing that I thought was too much of that ingredient is the pumpkin, I know that it’s called pumpkin muffins, but it just was too dense. It felt like a heavy muffin.

    But still it was good.

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